Improvement in brakes for sewing-machines



N. F. PALMER.

Improvement in Brake forSewing 'Mac'hines.'

Patented Jan. 23,1872.

NOYES F. PALMER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRAKES FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,043, dated January23, 1872.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, NOYES F. PALMER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand in the State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Belt- Brakes; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawing making a part of thisspecification, in which-- Figure l is a side view of my device; Fig. 2,a front view of the same; Fig. 3, a separate view of the lever with theIndia-rubber cushion removed; and Fig. 4, a separate view of the rubbercushion.

Like letters of like kinds designate corresponding parts in each figure.

My device belongs to that class of automatic belt-brakes intended toprevent motion of the driving-wheel in the wrong direction, and also toretard motion of the same in the proper direction when desired; and myinvention therein consists in the peculiar construetion, combination,and arrangement of the several operative parts, all as more fullyhereinafter described.

In' the drawing, A represents a portion of a sewing-machine table, tothe under side of which the brake-frame B is secured by any propermeans. This frame (of the form shown in Fig. 1') has an upper plane orflat surface, a, suitable for fastening a downward and outwardly curvedbody, I), and an outer arm, 0, extending at right angles laterally fromsaid body. To the side of the body I), from which extends the arm 0, thelever O is pivoted, whose form is shown particularly in Fig. 3, andwhich is composed of a body, d, and a cross-head, 6, attached near itscenter, and havin g the outer surface 6 of one portion of it serrated,as shown in Fig. 3, and the other portion 6 cylindrical in form. Uponthis crosshead the India-rubber cushion D, which is a tube, as shown inFig. 4, is placed by springing it over said cross-head, the portion e ofwhich is first inserted in the opening If in one side of said cushion,and then the cushion stretched, so that said opening will extend overthe end of the cylindrical portion of the cross-head. The frame B andthe lever 0 may each be cast in one piece of any suitable metal. Thebelt E, which may be round, flat, or angular, completes the enumerationof parts.

In the operation of my device,when intended to act as a brake to preventrevolution of the driving-wheel in the wrong direction, the cushion,falling by its own weight into place, is drawn by the descendingmovement of the belt E so that it presses said belt with increasingforce against the outer arm 0 of the frame until it prevents its furthermovement in that direction, as shown in Fig. 1. When it is intended touse it to check the motion in the right direction, the hand of theoperator is placed upon the cushion and it is pressed down until thedesired result is attained. When it is wish ed to use themachine withoutthe brake, as is frequently the case with skilled operatives, thecushion is turned up against the under side of the table A, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 1 where it remains in place by its own elasticity.

As the rubber cushion, when placed on a cylindrical body, stretches verymuch in arotary direction by the traction of the belt when it is pressedby it, whereby the motion of the belt is not checked with sufficientspeed, and the cushion itself soon becomes torn, inelastic, andworthless, the serrated portion 6 of the cross-head prevents suchbadresults and makes a very simple and effective brake, which will notwedge or bind the belt.

The advantages of my device consist in its cheapness, simplicity, andeffectiveness in operation upon any kind of a belt.

Having thus described its construction,

method of operation, and some of its advantages, what I claim as newtherein is- The automatic belt-brake, composed of the frame B, the leverG, and cushion D, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this14th day of December, 1871.

. U -""NOYES F. PALMER.

Witnesses? N. G. PALMER, F. P. PERSON.

